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Adaway is an open source ad blocker for Android using the hosts file.
FYI you don't need apps that pretend to be a VPN to block ads anymore, you can just go to
Settings > Network and Internet > Private DNSand set it to something likedns.adguard.comto block almost all ads, no install required!I am afraid the UK isps Virgin, three and Sky have blocked me completely from trying to browse anything at all if I try to enable this setting at all.
IF I enable it on any of them I have no Internet at all. Sucks but in the UK it's basically turning off you're Internet. I still have an older version of blokada working but when it updates it kills my Internet like the rest of them so I'm constantly fighting that.
Raise hell with your telecomms regulator. Choice of DNS (not to mention how web content is rendered) is solely your business, but it will only remain that way if you get vocal.
Also uk, and I've never ran into this issue.
That's odd, it works on GiffGaff and Lebara for me, and for everyone else I've set it up for. Maybe an issue with your phone? Does it work over WiFi?
My phone works perfectly until I enable it and I've tried a few different dns options with it and yes even use the longer domains designed for it.
Never had my phone work at all while they are On sadly I think it's been blocked by these isps honestly.
its a nothing phone on Android 13 and here's proof enabling it takes me immediately offline https://ibb.co/t3mpwNS.
Sorry for the late reply, your link tries to add the . from the end of your sentence to it and breaks so I couldn't see your screenshot until I removed it. I notice you still have blokada enabled, have you tried switching it off completely and then enabling private DNS? I'm not a network expert but it seems like they could be treading on each others toes maybe.
Your partly right in that bitwarden was interfering but while I can get sky WiFi to work with private dns it still cuts off my mobile network which is 3.
Now that's not completely as bad as it sounds because I use WiFi calling a lot at home .
Ive seen the same issue in the past with virgin which even cut of my home pcs if I tried to use a dns that wasnt theirs.
I found this fix for Virgin Media, might be worth contacting 3 (or their support forums) to see if they have a similar fix
something like dns.adguard.com
What other options are there?
Awesome, thanks!
what about apps that detect adblockers, will this bypass them or do they just not let you view their content?
I've never seen an issue, so it either works or I don't have any apps like that. Try it out, it's pretty quick to check!
is it better than blokada?
Blokada is a VPN based adblocker, but Adaway can work as a hosts file based blocker, if the phone is rooted. Hosts file based blocking uses zero cpu cycles, as it's a feature of the network stack, it's just a file containing list of addresses to redirect, so it should use less battery than blokada. By default on all OSes this hosts file is not editable by regular users, that's why you need root. Wikipedia article about hosts file
no root means I wouldn't be able to use adaway, right?
Without root it works the same way as blokada, as a local VPN. I always root my phones, so I don't have experience with that, I guess it's similar.
But you can just try it, and if you don't like it you can get back to blokada. Also as both of them are just VPNs, you can just switch between the two, while both are installed. Also on their website there is a good FAQ: https://adaway.org/
Isn't it also available on the Play Store?
Google killed VPN-based adblockers on the play store.
Can't say whether this is true or not, I've stopped using google play long ago
Oh okay. I wasn't aware of this change as Adaway used to be on the store.
Blokada found a way to circumvent this iirc. Not sure about the others
No.